The difference in types of saxophones

[blacksax]

Hello out there,

Can someone please tell the difference between alto,tenor and baritone saxes and if you learn to play one, can you played the others :?:


Thank you for your help!

[Mike Ruhl]

The keywork and fingerings are the same for all the saxophones. Once you've learned to play one, all it takes to switch to another is adjusting to the difference in size and pitch.

[Ritchie]

There are sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bariton, bass, and sometimes contrabass sax, plus the C-Melody Horns, the difference is their size, therefore the length of the air column inside the tube. A longer air column means you can produce lower pitched notes. sopranino, alto, bariton and contrabass are in Eb, which means that if you read and finger a C, it sounds in the pitch of Eb. Soprano, tenor and bass are in Bb, a fingered C sounds like a Bb.

Switching from one horn horn size to another basically is a non issue, as meruhl said, but it is a completely different feeling to play a small and light soprano or to play a heavy bass. Each of the members of the saxophone family has its own quirks and problems, so they may as well be regarded different instruments and all ask for regular playing to keep your chops on each of them in a good condition.